OWENSVILLE — Gasconade County R-2 School District’s Board of Education on Monday approved a contract with the city of Owensville to provide a school resource police officer (SRO) for the 2024-25 school year with school district funding.

Police Cpl. Brenn Finley, previously the SRO for the district, told board members patrolman Paul Baldwin will be completing his basic SRO training for the coming school year and is expected to complete advanced training by the following school year. Finley will serve as Baldwin’s training officer and will certify him.

The school district will pay the policeman’s salary and provided him with office space and related computer and internet equipment in school buildings. The city will equip the officer with uniforms and provide a marked police vehicle for the SRO to use while on school duty. The SRO will remain an employee of the city.

The new contract begins July 1 and will be in effect for the school year through June 30, 2025. R-2 directors voted unanimously to enter into the contract with the city.

Directors also gave unanimous approval to a proposal discussed last month where Legends Bank and the district’s Dutchmen/Dutchgirl Athletic Booster Club will fund the donation of new video display scoreboards for the high school gym. There is no cost to the school district for the equipment and the existing scoreboards will be moved to another gym in the district. Legends Bank will have advertising rights for the new scoreboards.

According to a report prepared for R-2 directors, the Booster Club and Legends Bank have agreed to donate new scoreboards for the OHS main gym including a digital scoreboard and an analog scoreboard and side-panel with a 100-percent sponsorship shared 50 percent each.

The total cost of $99,920 includes two new boards, a scorers table, graphics, labor, a 10 year warranty, and cost to relocate the existing scoreboards to Owensville Elementary School where middle school teams play. These digital boards will be used for basketball, volleyball, wrestling, graduation, and assemblies. The Booster Club will pay for the boards using their tax exempt and Legends Bank will reimburse the Booster Club.

The R-2 district has zero financial responsibility, the report noted, and  existing scoreboards are out of warranty with the district responsible for all maintenance costs.

The new units come with a 10 year warranty covering all parts and video as well as a spare parts package. Graphics on the boards will be updated to say “sponsored by” to “help clarify that school funds were not used to purchase the boards,” the report noted. The boards are expected to be installed this summer.

Directors also approved motions adding assistant coaches for the high school and middle school robotics programs. Superintendent Dr. Jeri Kay Hardy told directors the assistant coaching position was a requirement for participation in Missouri State High School Activities Association sanctioned events. Staff filling those positions will receive a 2-percent stipend.

Board members also approved a motion forgiving all snow days for R-2 staff. Unless otherwise informed by the superintendent, 12-month staff in the central office, transportation, maintenance, and custodial department will be required to report to work, weather permitting, and will receive compensatory time off in exchange.

There was also discussion on salary schedules and placement for teachers and allowing them to bring all of their prior years of service in education into the R-2 district for the purposes of determining their placement on the salary schedule which has been revised. No action was taken Monday but additional adjustments will be made to the salary schedule “to clean up documentation” for classified staff to incorporate their years of employment in related private sector fields, according to Hardy.

Directors also approved the new salary schedule as presented for both certified and classified employees.

Board members also agreed to reimburse retiring teachers for the first year of their membership dues to either the Missouri Retired Teachers Association or the Missouri State Teachers Association.

Reluctantly, directors approved a 10-cent increase in meal prices for both students and staff. Hardy explained that the increase was required by law to meet minimum pricing standards set by the government for school meal programs. Directors did not, however, increase the price for buying a second carton of milk.

Glenn Ely, board president, introduced the action saying there was “no desire to raise the minimum charge” and noted that it was “legally required.”

In new business, directors issued a declaration of critical shortage for employment of a middle school special services teacher for the 2024-25 term. No applications were received for the open position, Hardy told the full board. With the declaration, the district will be able to look into the ranks of retired educators to fill the position without affecting their status with the public school retirement system.

Owensville High School student Layni Heidbreder introduced Brynn Wright as the new high school representative to the board for the 2023-24 school year.  She will be providing highlights to the board about events throughout the school year at OHS. Heidbreder had those duties for the past school year.

Owensville Elementary School Students of the Month included Kash Nowack-Schlottog (kindergarten), Hailey Adkins (first grade), Neveah Durbin (second), Rowdie Cooper (third), Jackson Weyrauch (fourth), and Kinley Shoemaker (fifth). Owensville Elementary Staff of the Month honors went to Terra Wheeler (second grade) and Dawn Brune (counselor).

Middle School Students of the Month included sixth, seventh, and eighth-graders respectively Hudsen Loeb, Elliott Phillips and Rylan Price, and Eva Sanchez.

Middle School Staff of the Month included Noreen Nowack, Elisa Minnigerode, Brooke Johnson, and Steve Benton.